05.20.2015
PTO CORNER  
Stay connected! Visit pierceschoolbrookline.org


END-OF-YEAR PTO MEETING/MORNING COFFEE

Postponed

Originally scheduled for 6/5, our last PTO meeting of the year will be rescheduled. Date TBA.

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SAVE THE DATE: ANNUAL END-OF-YEAR PIERCE PICNIC @ PIERCE PARK
Tues., 6/9 (rain date 6/10)
Bring a blanket and have a picnic to celebrate another great school year. Bring your own food or purchase at the picnic (a food truck and a sundae bar will be on site). A DJ will be at the picnic as well. Contact Nora O'Farrell at [email protected] or Tamisha Atkins at  [email protected] with questions. Signup sheet will appear in next week's Bridge. Everyone welcome. 
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THIS IS A GREAT TIME OF YEAR FOR CLASS/GRADE GATHERINGS ON THE WEEKENDS - ALL IT TAKES IS ONE EMAIL!                                              

We encourage parents to organize informal class picnics/gatherings in the parks in May and/or June. It's a great way to get families and kids together outside of school, and it's especially important in the younger grades. All it takes is an email to your class! If you'd like to get reimbursed for reserving park space/picnic benches, please contact us at [email protected]. 

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ONE OR TWO VOLUNTEERS NEEDED TO PLAN INCOMING KINDERGARTEN PICNIC THIS AUGUST 
This is a minimal time requirement volunteer opportunity. We need 1-2 people to help plan and run the incoming kindergarten picnic for families this August (date TBD, but the volunteer would pick a date that works for them). This is a fun volunteer opportunity and a great way to welcome new families into our great community. Interested? Contact [email protected].
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HELP RAISE MONEY FOR YOUR PTO AND SHOP AT THE STUDIO  

For the month of May, 10% off any first time customer's purchase will be donated to Pierce School PTO. To preview go to www.studio233.com and click Lookbook. The Studio is upstairs at 233 Harvard Street in Coolidge Corner. 617-738-5091. 

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PIERCE WEAR: THANK YOU TO KARIN KAHN AND A CALL FOR A NEW PARENT VOLUNTEER TO OVERSEE PIERCE MERCHANDISE

Thank you to Pierce parent Karin Khan for leading our Piercewear (Pierce merchandise) efforts these last few years. From running a t-shirt design contest to managing printing and sales, Karin has done a great job. Karin will be stepping out of this role at the end of the year and we need a parent volunteer to take over. Interested? Please contact [email protected].

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SHOP AMAZON AND BENEFIT PIERCE SCHOOL
When you shop Amazon through the school website, Pierce PTO receives a percentage of your purchases at no extra cost to you. Remember "Go to School" before you shop online at Amazon! To shop, go to the school website homepage and look for this icon:
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SCHOOL CORNER   
Stay connected! Visit pierceschoolbrookline.org

 

SCHOOL COMMITTEE MEETING TOMORROW

Thurs., 5/21, 6pm @ James F. Walsh Committee Room, 5th Floor, Town Hall

This is an open discussion with the Brookline School Committee and the public, with topics TBD by participants. Please see the full meeting docket hereThe School Committee will also be holding Office Hours prior to the meeting from 5-6pm in the same room. Contact Robin Coyne with questions at 617-730-2430 or [email protected]

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LAST DAY OF MORNING MATH & READING
Thurs., 5/21  
... for the year. 
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PIERCE BOOK FAIR IS NEXT WEEK! 

Tue., 5/26 - Thurs., 5/28 @ Pierce Auditorium

 

The schedule:

Tue., 5/27 & Wed., 5/27 during school: K-6 classroom visits

Tue., 5/26 after school: 7th/8th grade visits

Wed., 5/27 before school: 7th/8th grade visits

Thurs., 5/28 during school: Open to teachers and parents

*5/27 & 5/28, 3-7pm: open to the public  
 

Volunteer

Please consider volunteering to help sell books. The fair is open at many times during the day, conducive to lots of different schedules. Sign up here

 

Curbside Donation Drop-off

Fri., 5/22, 7:30-8:30am

Got last-minute book donations? Drop them off curbside (in the upper circle) and let us do the heavy lifting! 

 

Send a dollar

Tues., 5/26

 
If you are able, please send in a dollar with your child, in preparation for Tues. & Wed. visits by K-6 classes. All proceeds go to PTO. All children will leave with a book.
 

Meet Award-Winning Author/Illustrator Eric Velasquez 

Wed., 5/27, 6:30-7:30pm @ Pierce School cafeteria

Every year, the Book Fair features a family-oriented event, with crafts and story-telling. We are excited to announce this special addition! This event is free of charge and open to the public.

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FIND THE GOLDEN SHOES - ONLY 65 SHOES LEFT TO FIND! 

Fri., 5/1 - Sun., 5/31

Celebrate our walkable neighborhood! During the month of May, 100 golden shoes were hidden throughout the neighborhood surrounding  Pierce -- on sidewalks, in parks, or around local businesses. Each shoe is specially marked with a certificate with instructions on how to enter the grand prize drawing, to be held 6/9 at the Pierce Family Picnic. The Golden Shoes program encourages children to be active, and is sponsored by Pierce Walks, the Brookline Public Health Department, Pierce PTO, and PUMA. To learn more visit www.pierceschoolbrookline.org/golden-shoes.html. First prize: A walking-shopping spree through Brookline, plus PUMA footwear signed by Usain Bolt. Additional Prizes: 30+ PUMA gift cards between $20 and $100.

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SAVE THE DATE! PIERCE ART SHOW @ PIERCE CAFETERIA

Tue., 6/2, 5:30-7:30pm
Come see an art showcase of beautiful artwork made by students throughout the year.
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UNDERSTANDING OUR DIFFERENCES: A CALL FOR VOLUNTEERS
Every year, Pierce School fourth graders participate in the Brookline Schools' Understanding Our Differences (UOD) program, a collaboration between 4th grade teachers, parent volunteers, and school and town administrators. We cannot continue this important program without parent volunteers. Thank you to those who have already offered your time! If you'd like to volunteer for future units, the commitment is for a single day from 8-10:30am, plus a short training meeting two days before the unit. (If you can't make the evening training, our brief on-line training video may be helpful.) Please consider volunteering for any of the upcoming units:
Tues., 6/2 -- Physical Disabilities
Thurs., 6/11 -- Intellectual Disabilities
To volunteer, please visit  
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1gN6R6Ker7Vo-AyVyOypWeygcEFwtnvX2KsxlqR-dk1Q/edit?usp=sharing. If you have volunteered in the past, we'd especially appreciate your help! Our thanks, Tiffany Rinne and Ann Kamensky, Parent Coordinators

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COMPETITIVE BAKE SALE!

Mon., 6/8 & Fri., 6/12, after school @ outside Pierce

Come one come all to the 8th Grade bake sale, featuring built-in competition: who can sell more, the 8th grade boys or girls? Support the boys on Monday and the girls on Friday. Proceeds will help pay for graduation events including a graduation after party! Please help us celebrate our graduating 8th graders and buy yummy baked goods.

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AHU AFTER-SCHOOL PROGRAM @ PIERCE
Mondays-Thursdays, 9/22/15 - 6/11/16, 2:40-5:10pm
After Hours University (AHU) is an after-school program at Pierce, open to any student who will be in 4th, 5th or 6th grade for the 2015-2016 school year. AHU follows a daily schedule that includes a quiet homework hour (with at least 2-4 staff on hand to help as needed), a recess time and snack, and an hour-long enrichment activity. Past enrichments have included: Lego Robotics, Graphic Design, fine art and crafts, yoga, improv, and more!  For more information or to register your child, please contact Pierce AHU Director, Jacki Vassari at 518-339-8422 or [email protected].
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MATH PROBLEM OF THE WEEK NEEDS YOUR HELP! 
Show your love for the Problem of the Week by volunteering!
Tara Washburn, Pierce School Math Specialist, is looking for two reliable parents to support the Problem of the Week throughout the school year. Tara will supply the math problems, but she needs help creating the flyer and posters, communicating with the Pierce website and Bridge teams, photocopying materials and managing the bulletin board -- about one to two hours of work every other week when a new Problem comes out. Please contact [email protected] if interested.
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IT'S ALIVE! MUSEUM OF SCIENCE BRINGS LIVE ANIMALS TO GRADES 1 & 2
This June, Pierce Arts Council welcomes educators from the Museum of Science! 
The Museum's traveling program will bring live exhibits to our first graders, who will compare egg development, birth, and metamorphosis in different species. MOS educators return to visit second-graders for a program on animal habitats, observing several live animals to determine their ideal shelter and food. 

Thanks to the donations of parents and community members to the Pierce PTO, the Pierce Arts Council brings a variety of age-appropriate, high-quality programs and performances to the school to complement learning in the classroom. The performances are a creative and fun way for students to engage in and learn about arts, science, history, and literature.

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SPECIALISTS CORNER 

VISUAL ARTS

Visit the  Visual Artson the school website to see what your little Picassos have been creating.

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PROBLEM OF THE WEEK 

 

POW #17: WHAT TIME IS IT?

Due Tues., 6/2

Look for POW #17 on the board this Friday. Visit the POW page on the school website:

http://www.pierceschoolbrookline.org/problem-of-the-week.html 

 

SOLUTION TO POW #16: BALLOON AUCTION

The PTO received only 30 balloons

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MATHLETES PROBLEM OF THE WEEK #13 : STRING THEORY

Due Tues., 6/2

A 63-inch long string is cut into pieces so that their lengths form a sequence. First, a 1-inch piece is cut from the string, and each successive piece that is cut is twice as long as the previous piece cut. Into how many pieces can the original length of string be cut in this way? 

Copies of the problem will be available in the rack in the front lobby and on the Pierce website. Please put your solution in the green box by the Mathletes bulletin board. Have fun doing the math!

SOLUTION TO MATHLETES PROBLEM OF WEEK#12: COPY CAPS
The bottom row of caps is yellow, red, blue, yellow.
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COMMUNITY CORNER

 

It's a week to help our kids, with workshops on stress, communication, and social skills. Plus, French lessons, info re: incoming Brookline Village marijuana dispensary, upcoming Brookline Village Fair, and more. For great ideas of things to do, visit the latest edition of Community Corner!  

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CLASSIFIEDS
Want to see your ad here? Send an email to [email protected].

 

THE GOLDEN CHICKPEA CENTER EXCLUSIVE PARTY FOR PIERCE FAMILIES!!

TODAY: FREE, WALK-IN, 5/20, 4-6 pm @ 224 Washington Street, Brookline

Cecilia Garcia Caballero is pleased to announce the grand opening of The Golden Chickpea Center, Learn, Play & Grow Together. Multicultural Family Center, we offer Music, Art Lego area and Birthday Parties, as well as Cultural Events, and more. Children of all ages are very welcome. Please print the following invitation for entry.

                                                                                     

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HOST FAMILY WANTED 
Host family wanted for a Chinese student who will be attending BHS for the fall semester (Sept-January). Please contact Liz Percy [email protected] for more information.
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PIANO INSTRUCTION 
Flexible summer scheduling makes now an ideal time to try piano lessons. Berklee & New England Conservatory graduate with 30+ years teaching experience. Beginners welcome. Build a high quality musical foundation with a patient, upbeat, and caring teacher. 
Lessons offered now through June 15 and June 29-August 11. Please contact Gloria Jasinski, phone: 617-566-9704, email: [email protected]

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HELPING KIDS COMMUNICATE!

Speech-language services in your home - All year round

Meryl Heller Schram, MS, CCC-SLP, an experienced and respected pediatric speech-language pathologist,provides individual services for children with communication difficulties in the home setting. Services are available for toddlers through middle-schoolers with developmental speech-language disorders, language-learning disabilities, articulation/phonological disorders, autism spectrum disorders, and apraxia. Treatment programs are tailored to children's specific needs and parent involvement is encouraged, resulting in steady and measurable progress. For more information or to make an appointment, contact Meryl Heller Schram, M.S., CCC-SLP

617-733-1995[email protected] 

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phone: (617) 730-2580